The 23rd General Aviation Manufacturers and Traders Association (GAMTA) conference marked a reappraisal of current GA legislation in Europe. Pat Ricketts, head of aviation safety policy for the European Aviation Safety Association (EASA), addressed a number of problems which she felt were wrong with the present system: “Currently there are failings on both the JAA side and with the EU’s role. The JAA has no legal status, there is inefficient decision making, a lack of transparency, no single certification, inadequate communications with the FAA and it’s dependent on national funding.”

Held under the theme ‘a strategy for the future’, the conference was opened by GAMTA chairman David Antrobus and the new CAA chairman, Sir Roy McNulty. Although there was the obvious flag-flying for EASA by Ricketts, it was felt by many that changes need to be made in order to make the current system more comprehensible and uniform. This was further reiterated by JAA consultant, Jim Lyons’ address of JAA JAR-OPS 0, 2 and 4. GAMTA’s honorary finance director, Len Rayment, followed his speech by amusingly stating that he was sure few could have actually understood the appraisal. It is exactly this type of confusion, attendees said, which emphasises the problems that numerous conflicting and indecipherable regulations can cause.

Other speakers included GAMTA chief executive Graham Forbes, who spoke of anecdotal reports of up to

a 20 per cent reduction in PPL hours as well as a fall in private pilots licence issuance.

In all there was an optimistic and up-beat mood to the proceedings, but certainly a feeling that a move towards liberalisation and an alignment of trans-European policy will have to be the ultimate goal for general aviation.